Can Anyone Say “No” to Grandpa Mats?

Since Mats Sundin arrived in Vancouver in early January, we’ve heard all sorts of criticism directed towards him. Such comments as:

“Sundin was invisible once again tonight.”

“His age is showing through that laboured skating stride.”

“Sundin isn’t the same dominant player he was in Toronto.”

“He’s a shadow of his former self.”

For all Mats Sundin doesn’t bring to the team with his game on the ice, he makes up for it in spades with what he brings to the Canucks’ locker room. Think of it like this: have you ever in your life said “no” to your grandfather? Isn’t there something about the wrinkles and lines on his face; the way you can see the vein on his left temple throbbing when he’s giving an order that makes you instantly stand to attention?

What if one day you witnessed old granddad drop the cane, running off to play hockey against people half his age? Seeing him taking hit after hit and skating as hard as his old legs would allow – even if his speed was a joke to you – wouldn’t you be inspired to play your hardest?

So Mats addresses his teammates in his stern accented English: “Come on guys, let’s play hard” (he is a man of few words). If you’re young Alex Burrows or Mason Raymond, you’re sitting there wide-eyed, nodding furiously, hoping he doesn’t cuff you upside the head. You go out there and you play hard, like he asked, thinking he will notice and hopefully not cuff you upside the head when you return to the bench.

To Ryan Kesler, who is lucky enough to play on the same line, he says, “Young man, I will win the faceoff. You take the puck and shoot.” This is for a defensive zone faceoff. And Kesler, being a good kid, takes the puck end-to-end and scores half the time. No wonder he’s had such an offensive boost since Sundin’s arrival. No wonder, really, that the Canucks are a better team with the addition of this plodding, grizzled old man.